


Under The Lights

by simpingonthedaily



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Add more later - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Dance, Comfort, Crush at First Sight, Crushes, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut, POV Alternating, Slow Burn, karlnap, no beta we die like wilbur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpingonthedaily/pseuds/simpingonthedaily
Summary: “Excuse me? I’m number 243, Lightning. Senior Contemporary 17-19.” Without even looking up, Sapnap checked off the box. “Well, you’ve got 2 numbers, so you’re free to stand in the back half of the wings for one and then set up. Any props?” That was when he looked up.And oh my god.Number 243 was the prettiest guy he had ever seen.orSapnap meets dancer Karl while working nationals for his dance competition.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 19
Kudos: 142





	1. Pretty Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my first time writing a ship, especially m/m, so any feedback is greatly appreciated :) If any dance concepts need to be explained better just let me know and i'll elaborate somehow! If any cc expresses their discomfort with this sort of fic it will be taken down, please don't donate or contact a cc specifically about any work from this. Enjoy! <3

Sapnap was tired, like really tired. He loved his job, but he hated the hours. Especially during nationals season. He stood leaning against a black painted brick wall as the last of the competitors trickled offstage from the previous awards, scanning his clipboard for the upcoming dances. Sapnap’s family had brought him into the ‘dance world’ as they call it (just basically means every dancer knows every dancer), so it was no surprise that his first job out of highschool was to join a dance competition itself. He woke up excited for work everytime, the trips and locations and people, but it was the last session of the first day of the week and he was ready for the sweet release of sleep.

Normally competitions are just a weekend, but this is the last one of the season. Needless to say, Sapnap wants a drink. He was caught deep in his thoughts until a firm voice comes through his headset, Dream. Dream was one of his best friends, and also the announcer for their comp. “Hey, pretty boy, we’re starting in 5.” “Copy.” Sapnap looked up out of his clipboard list to greet whatever nervous dancer was waiting to check in. This late at night it was bound to be senior solos, and his list confirmed that. Plenty of teenage girls, a few guys. Quite a few people from his life assumed he got hit on backstage a lot, but the dancers don’t have the time or energy to flirt with him, they spend every second they can preparing for the stage.

“Excuse me? I’m number 243, Lightning. Senior Contemporary 17-19.” Without even looking up, Sapnap checked off the box. “Well, you’ve got 2 numbers, so you’re free to stand in the back half of the wings for one and then set up. Any props?” That was when he looked up.

And oh my god.

Number 243 was the prettiest guy he had ever seen.

He had brown, shaggy hair that just barely reached the tip of his eyebrows, slightly smudged eyeliner (as most dancers have), white shorts, white dance socks (newly allowed into the competition, slowly growing more popular) and a white tee with blue lightning bolts on it that clung to his shoulders.

“No, just me!” The dancer giggled before looking out onto the stage, but not for much. They were just mopping the floor for the little plastic bags that adjudication pins came in.

“Okay then, you’re free to get ready and do what you need to do!”

“Thanks!” 243 skipped off to a group of girls in green and white jackets, presumably their team colors.

Sapnap let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding.

He couldn’t stall on the pretty boy for long, as much as he wished to. 241, 242, and a few others were waiting to be checked in, and he was the only authority figure in sight. He ran from side to side until he had the first ten dances checked off, and nobody was missing. Just as he took his place leaning on the same brick wall (stage left first wing was his personal preference, best view of the dances), Dream’s voice could be heard booming through the theatre’s sound system.

“Welcome back to the Dream Team Competition, as always we’d like to remind you that there is no recording, no flash photography, and please refrain from leaving the auditorium until the stage is clear of dancers.”  
Oh yeah, Dream was a partial owner of the comp. There’s that too, and that was Sapnap’s easy in to this job.

“Now, Judges, starting off our Senior 17-19 advanced level is Elise Whitley with Skin!” After the clapping faded, the solo started and Sapnap zoned out. He’d heard this song a thousand times and he refused to focus on another dance using it tonight. The next time he came to reality was a set of claps and yells, presumably from her studio and team.

Dancers have a habit of yelling in support for each other, which is very sweet but very bad for your ears.

The next dance passed quickly, checking in a few more competitors in the duration. She was very talented, but he can’t always watch. He looked down at his clipboard.

243\. Pretty boy.

Without fail, Dream’s charismatic voice came through once again. How he hadn’t lost it, Sapnap didn’t know. He did most of the awards shows as well.

“Next up, please welcome to the stage number 243, Karl Jacobs, with Lightning.”

His head snapped up from where he had been looking mindlessly to the stage, where the boy, apparently his name was Karl, had positioned himself to start.

The song started with 4 pulses, and Karl rocked with each one. As the dance continued, Sapnap watched in awe. Not only was he pretty, he could dance *incredibly* well. His eyes never came off the stage as he watched the dancer extend, flip, turn, and press with incredible motion. It was so well rehearsed that it looked effortless, heads and hand positions perfect.

Sapnap was amazed.

He was so amazed, in fact, that he didn’t notice the dance was over until the claps came, and Karl was walking offstage.

He hunched over, obviously in an attempt to breathe, and was quickly met by the girls in their team jackets bringing praise. As they should, he did incredible.

Sapnap adjusted his position awkwardly as he watched Karl and his teammates walk out, keeping his eyes fixed on pretty boy.

Then, said pretty boy looked back at him.

Then, said pretty boy giggled.

It was over for Sapnap right then and there.


	2. Platinum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You realize that you, a staff member, are asking a competitor and complete stranger to go with you in the dark to see something.” Sapnap seemed to stop and think before returning to the conversation. 
> 
> “Huh, yes, yes I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's kinda rushed because i got excited, so leave any grammar corrections/critiques in the comments (i don't proofread well) :D glad everyone is liking it so far! sorry this one is kinda short lol

DA DAAA DA DA DA DAAAA

Karl loved that sound.

It got incredibly annoying after all of the competitions and awards he had attended, yes, but it still made him feel just as giddy and nervous as the first time he performed for judges. He and his team (mostly just his close friends, other senior competitors) stepped onto the stage. This was probably the last awards that they would have wiggle room to spread out at before the rest of the week when the younger kids come and fill up the space. 

Karl sat between his 2 closest friends on the team, Niki and Alex. Alex, or quackity as he went by, was an incredibly accomplished tap dancer and the impulsivity of the group. Then Niki, she was a modern/jazz soloist and their resident impulse control. And then there was Karl. 

They sat and talked for a good while until a slight breeze hit their costumes and jackets, finding it to come from the now open red curtain to the stage. Awards were starting. Karl anxiously waited for the intro to end. 

“Now, to kick off adjudications, 17-19 advanced soloists. 241, Skin, platinum!” The crowd cheered, and Karl tapped at the floor with his finger. “242, Wayward, high gold!” Oof. There was nothing wrong with high gold, but things were a lot more competitive in his category. “243, Lightning, Diamond and first in the category!” Karl smiled brightly at his friends cheering, and followed the read carpet placed perfectly on center stage to get his award. 

He looked up when he reached the back, no longer needing to watch out for stray fingers or ankles, and saw the hot staff guy from earlier. 

Emphasis on hot.

Staff guy was the first to talk. “Lightning?” Karl swallowed a little bit, he was a little intimidated by the dude. “Uh, yeah. That’s me.” Staff guy smiled and handed him a small enamel pin and a trophy. Their hands briefly held a warm contact on the marble base of the trophy.

His hands were really warm. 

“Congratulations!” “Thanks!” Karl looked back at him with a nervous smile before returning to his seat by the curtains on stage. He had a name tag on.

“Sapnap, huh.”

“What?” Oh, he said that out loud. “Sorry Niki, nothing. Just talking to myself.”

The rest of awards went in a blur. Lots of cheering, shouting, loud music, and then overalls. Karl placed first with Niki and Alex in 2nd and 3rd, scoring a few publicity points for their team. After bowing for a picture, Karl swore he could see Sapnap smiling at him out of the corner of his eye. 

He tried not to focus on it, because staff smile for competitors all the time, right? Yeah.

Much to Karl’s tired relief, awards ended quicker than the set time and they were allowed to exit the stage and head out for the night. The trio took a few pictures together, said their goodbyes, and split off. Niki and Alex were in the same hotel, but Karl booked the wrong one. So they went off stage right, and he went off stage left. 

In his exhausted state, he failed to notice a coil of wire laying plainly in the center of the walkway, and definitely failed to catch himself when he fell. “What the hon- WOAH”. 

That one hurt, and the pin that slammed into his jaw was for sure going to leave a bruise. 

“Hey, you okay?” Sapnap. “Hey hi, yeah i’m fine, just a tumble. Nothing I haven’t done before.” “Alright.” That one sounded a little hesitant. Brushing off his shorts, Karl stood up. When he was satisfied with the state of his outfit, he looked straight up into eye contact with the staff member that checked him in and given him his awards. He had really pretty eyes.

“Um, nice job today. Your solo was phenomenal.” That took Karl by surprise. The dude watched at least 300 dances a day. “Oh, thank you! It’s my favorite solo that i’ve done by far.” They sat in an awkward silence for a few seconds, neither really seeming to want to leave but still having no idea what to say. 

“Do you compete tomorrow?” Sapnap asked. “Uh, yeah, pretty sure I have a few of my small groups.” Karl focused his eyes and tried to remember the schedule, but he really had no clue.  
“Sweet, meet me after final awards then. I want to show you something.” Like what? Karl looked him dead in the eyes. 

“You realize that you, a staff member, are asking a competitor and complete stranger to go with you in the dark to see something.” Sapnap seemed to stop and think before returning to the conversation. 

“Huh, yes, yes I am.” 

“Okay then, i’ll be there.”

“Okay. Goodnight Jacobs.”

“Goodnight!” 

Karl started to head back to the dressing room to pack up, deep in thought and confusion, and it wasn’t until he was standing in the dimly lit parking lot that he realized Sapnap had remembered his last name.


	3. author update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a little note about it :)

hey guys!  
just wanted to let you all know that i'm not sure when this will be updated! i started writing in one night on a whim the days before i went back to school and severely underestimated my ability to find motivation/fit writing into my schedule. also i'm not super comfortable writing real people mlm relationships considering that i have never been in one (wlw) SO  
will this be updated? probably!  
do i know when? no.

HOWEVER  
i'll almost definitely be starting a new (platonic/family dynamic) fic with the dream smp creators and characters! it will be much better planned and have many more people, and i can assure that the writing quality will be better since i have more experience there. if you enjoyed my writing, i'll keep anyone updated as it when it starts and encourage you to check it out :)  
thank you for over 600 reads and almost 100 kudos?! it's absolutely unreal :)

stay tuned, much better stuff coming in the future!  
-izzy (@__SUNSHlNE__ on twitter, the i is a lowercase L)


End file.
